SpaceX caps Starlink speeds in Ukraine, disrupting military operations

SpaceX has restricted the operation of Starlink satellite terminals used by the Ukrainian military, capping connection speeds on moving devices and forcing units to abandon front-line combat missions.

The unannounced restriction applies to StarShield, the military-grade variant of the satellite network. Under the new limitation, terminals travelling faster than 100 miles per hour (160 kilometres per hour) abruptly lose connectivity.

Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on military technology, said the limitation took effect overnight on Tuesday without advance notice to Kyiv's armed forces. He said the sudden loss of connection led directly to the failure of multiple combat operations.

"Our defence forces did not receive a warning about this limitation and this led to the disruption of several missions," Beskrestnov said, arguing that the timing was tied to recent diplomatic tensions.

Front-line drone missions cancelled

The impact was felt immediately across active battle zones. Ukrainian units rely heavily on satellite terminals mounted on high-speed vehicles, interceptor drones, and long-range attack craft that strike Russian logistics behind the front line.

Ukraine's 7th Air Assault Corps said its units experienced direct throttling of Starlink connections, causing immediate operational fallout in southern Ukraine.

"The consequences are already being felt in the field," the corps said. It confirmed that a drone unit operating in the Huliaipole sector had to cancel scheduled missions on Wednesday morning because the links failed.

A Ukrainian defence ministry official confirmed that technicians had detected the velocity restrictions and were investigating the technical cause. Drone operators reported that connectivity cut out precisely as craft accelerated during operational runs.

Friction over strikes and intelligence

SpaceX and its chief executive, Elon Musk, have not issued an explanation for the cap, and the White House has not commented. Musk had recently criticised the Ukrainian government on his social media platform X, writing that "Zelenskyy has gone too far" after US criticism of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.

Ukrainian activist Serhii Sternenko claimed SpaceX might have acted under pressure from Washington, though no official order has been confirmed. US President Donald Trump has publicly urged Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian energy installations, blaming the raids for elevated fuel prices.

The Starlink throttling coincided with heavy Russian missile and drone bombardments against Ukrainian energy networks. Russia launched 39 ballistic missiles and 120 attack drones against Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight, knocking out power to at least 600,000 residents and hitting 26 electricity sites.

Ukrainian officials said Kyiv received no advance launch warnings from international partners ahead of the first missile salvoes, raising questions about whether standard US intelligence sharing had also slowed. Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said early warning data was absent for the initial barrage, though partner warnings resumed for subsequent waves later that night.